


Rainy Day

by Talullah



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-25
Updated: 2014-08-25
Packaged: 2018-02-14 15:33:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2197122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talullah/pseuds/Talullah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An impatient child with an impatient father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rainy Day

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to Patricia for the lovely beta. All remaining mistakes are mine.
> 
> nimmy asked for a picnic at Rivendell with Elrond explaining of the 'facts of life' to an uncooperative young son Elladan.
> 
> fanfic100 prompt 005: Outsides.
> 
> [Disclaimer/Blanket Statement](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Talullah/profile)

**Imladris, 136 Third Age**

Elrond sighed. The picnic was a disaster. He and Celebrían had thought that a nice quiet family picnic would be the perfect way to celebrate the twins' sixth birthday but the weather had not cooperated: a feisty spring shower had caught them as they were eating the birthday cake. Elrond had felt tempted to use Vilya... it would have been easy enough, but he hated using the ring for selfish motives.

As it was, he and Elladan had run for cover under a tree, and Celebrían and Elrohir sat under another some distance away. Noticing how Elrohir listened quietly to a story in Celebrían's lap, he felt a pang of guilt. He was starting to feel impatient with all of Elladan's restless questions, but being inquisitive and rebellious was part of his son's nature and he should accept it.

Still, he could not help wishing Elladan would stop asking impossible questions about everything and then some. First it had been the provenance of the chocolate in the birthday cake. Then it had been about where rain came from and if they could squeeze the clouds for more. Then Elladan had spotted a hive in the branches above them and before Elrond could stop him, he had tossed a pebble up to see the creatures that lived inside. Fortunately Elladan was a terrible shot and had missed completely.

Elrond had delivered him a lecture on the evils of cruelty towards animals, but Elladan's attentions had been diverted before he was even half-way through his speech. Sometimes he wished he could give into his human nature and deliver a couple of slaps to Elladan's backside as his father had done to him and Elros in far distant times. For some reason children's buttocks seemed to be connected to their ears, but Celebrían would kill him if she even suspect such thoughts ran through his mind.

The thing about Elladan was that there seemed to be no point behind his questions. He seldom listened to the full answers, often disputed them using arguments with no logic, and repeated the questions in a matter of a few days. Elrond occasionally wondered if the child was simple-minded... other times he wondered if he had waited for too long to be a father. At least Celebrían seemed to think so. She often made remarks about impatient elderly parents, forgetting that she was not a youngling any more either.

Before Elrond could sigh again, Elladan pointed out to the air. "Look, father!"

Elrond looked but he couldn't see anything of interest. "What is it, son?" he asked, making an effort to show some interest.

"Those flies... see?" Elladan asked pointing harder.

"What did your mother say about pointing?" Elrond asked with a tone of exaggerated patience.

"Oh, that is a silly rule. But look at the flies before they go away. Why are they flying like that?"

Elrond finally saw the flies and gulped down, forgetting to chide the child for dismissing his mother's words so callously. The flies were coupling. How do you explain that to a six year old elfling with a very short attention span?

Elladan insisted. "They are flying funny. Why are they doing that?"

Elrond cursed Manwë and all of his airy flying things. Then he considered lying but he did not want Elladan later recall the scene and think his father a liar.

"Erm... they are making baby flies," he answered reluctantly.

"They are doing what??" Elladan turned to face him, eyes wide open in surprise.

"Baby flies," Elrond confirmed tersely, hoping that Elladan's attention would be diverted soon.

Instead, his son jumped from his side and tried to grab the flies, quite unsuccessfully, fortunately.

"Elladan!" Elrond reprehended. "What are you doing?"

"I want to see how they make the baby flies!" Elladan whined.

"You can't."

"Why??" Elladan's voice raised and a familiar teary sound seeped in. Celebrían looked up from under her tree with an expression of reproach on her face and Elrond knew it was directed at him. He felt unreasonably guilty.

"You just can't, son," he tried in a soothing tone. ""Flies are very tiny and the babies will only appear in quite a few days. First the female fly has to lay her eggs-"

"Like chicken?" Elladan interrupted.

"Yes, only very, very tiny, and we would have to be able to fly to follow her and know where the eggs are."

"We can't fly," Elladan whined.

"Yes, I know that, son," Elrond replied.

"But I want to..."

"Well, you can't." Elrond was trying to be patient but he knew his answer had been too brusque.

Elladan pouted immediately, making Elrond really tempted to use Vilya. He could stop the rain for just long enough for them to collect their things and go into the house. Then he would take a bath and find refuge in his office or the library. Sometimes he wished his children were already grown.

"Father?"

"Yes, son?" he asked, guilt toning down his impatience.

Elladan hugged him. "I don't want to fly. Then the wind might blow me away and I want to be with you, even when you are grumpy."

Inside Elrond the irritation of a ruined day instantly melted. He held Elladan tighter. His son's inquisitive nature could be annoying but he was a sweet, loving child. He just had to nurture that and hope that time would hone the edges of Elladan's manner.

"I wouldn't let you fly way, son," he said tenderly.

"Thank you, father. I liked the cake."

Elrond grinned. That child's mind was like a grasshopper. A tiny rainbow made its way into the sky and the rain quickly turned into a thin veil of mist and then disappeared. Elrond rose from the ground and took his elder son's hand.

"Come on, let's go home. I'll show you a book on flies."

 

 _Finis_  
_September 2006_


End file.
